Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale 1 being the worst.
3 ... average. 5 is the highest rating.
Date Reviewed - 01.18.08
Cadet-Captain Mike
Name: USS Maryland
Card: FN #083 (Uncommon)
Points: 8
Faction: USA
Masts: 2
Cargo: 2
Moves: S+S
Guns : 2S, 2L
Hit %: 133 (S), 67 (L)
Ability: On the turn this ship is pinned, eliminate
one crew and one mast from the rammed ship.
The Maryland's fluff text says they use a lot of
harpoons. Her hull and sails are also covered with
harpoons. These serve as a useful warning - USS
Maryland is very prickly to the touch.
Her ability is one of the most powerful available
for a ramming ship.
As soon as her bowsprit makes contact, the enemy
loses a mast and a crew. Then he stands to lose
another mast from the ramming roll, and he might
lose a second crew if the Maryland follows her ram
with a boarding action. And if the ram took down two
masts, who wouldn't board? In addition to all this
mayhem, the Maryland has two fine cannons to add to
the destruction.
She needs a Captain, so she can keep the enemy under
fire while closing the range. She ought to have a
Helmsman if you can afford one, but she can still be
dangerous without one. Enemies tend to underestimate
the harm a two-masted ship can do. But USS Maryland
could conceivably cut a four-masted ship (or crab or
sea serpent) down to nothing in one turn - two masts
removed by ramming, two by shooting. I've used her
in battle; it was fun to watch the devastation she
caused. With a bit more speed, she'd be spectacular,
but she's one prickly customer just the way she is.
Here’s another good small back-up fighter which,
unlike the other boats of this week, has a really
good reason for ramming anything it can get its
hands on: its ability lets it automatically remove a
crew member and a mast whenever it is pinned. It has
S+S speed, so it may not need a Helmsman if you’re
fighting slow opponents. Its cannons are also good:
one short-2 and one long-2. It only carries two
cargo though, so a captain and a helmsman are
probably the best crew you can get aboard. It costs
only 8 points too!
I give this boat a 4.5. It’s got a great price for a
great pair of cannons, good speed, and the ability
to automatically kill some enemy crew. Its biggest
flaw is its small size.
